Chapter 75: Kiana: Even if Himeko Dies, I Won't Cry!
After clearing the Chapter 7 main story, the World Boss event to defeat the Judgment-class Honkai Beast also officially opened. In this event, players needed to destroy Benares' four "hearts" to assist Fu Hua in defeating the dragon.
When the four hearts were shattered, a CG played where Fu Hua, wielding the Divine Key—Grips of Taixu—made a dashing entrance! Accompanied by the visual of the hearts bursting, Fu Hua's domineering voice rang out:
["A mere flicker of a candle dares to contend with the fire of Taixu?"]
["The precipice of an iceberg holds no chill."]
["This tiny spark of lightning... let it be extinguished!"]
With the final heart destroyed, Benares was defeated, plummeting toward the earth! ["This way, it can no longer do evil."]
[Holy crap, that's too cool! Truly too cool!]
[Is Fu Hua's strength really just A-rank? Are all of Schicksal's A-rank Valkyries monsters?!]
[Person above! You can't measure Fu Hua's strength by rank! Haven't you played the latest chapter The Forgotten?]
[Fu Hua is actually a guardian from the Previous Era—a literal immortal!]
[Wait, for real?]
The Chronicle The Forgotten had also opened in this version. Players who preferred side stories were among the first to learn about Fu Hua's true identity.
[Hehe! I won't spoil it! When you play it, you'll definitely be shocked!]
At the same time, Fu Hua and Senti were also playing Honkai Impact 3rd. Seeing her in-game self so majestic, Senti was practically green with envy: "No way! Why did the Old Timer get made so cool? I want to appear in Honkai 3rd too! Waaaaah!!"
Watching her sister rolling around on the bed screaming, Fu Hua let out a helpless sigh: "Regarding that, I'll mention it to Kiana and the others for you."
"Really? For real, for real?" Senti did a "carp skip" jump, her eyes shining. "Old Timer! You really are the best to me! Hehe!" She rushed forward to hug and nuzzle Fu Hua with extreme enthusiasm.
"Alright, alright. Even if Su Mu and Kiana agree, we still need to go to the company to express our thanks in person."
Senti patted her (not very large) chest and spoke confidently: "Hehe! We should prepare some gifts, right? Old Timer, you don't have to worry about it—you have your Schicksal work. Leave this to me!"
Can I really leave this to you? Fu Hua wondered, but she nodded. "Fine, I'll leave it to you." Even if her sister was unreliable, surely she couldn't mess up buying a gift.
Back to Pardo's livestream.
After Fu Hua defeated Benares, a communication from Schicksal Headquarters arrived, informing Fu Hua of the Far East Branch's rebellion and ordering her to return immediately. Meanwhile, Himeko, having successfully breached the Third Airport and met up with Einstein and Tesla, entered the facility. Players were finally able to enter this Open World to gather resources and repair the damaged MSR-7 Wotan.
In the Third Airport Open World, players could control various mechs—from Anti-Entropy's "Titan Daddies" to Schicksal mechs. Pardo realized quickly that this wasn't something meant to be finished in one sitting; it was an independent Open World separate from the main story. Completing missions earned Crystals, rewards refreshed weekly, and the currency could be exchanged for resources.
"So, the weekly routine now includes an Open World with even more places to get Crystals!"
Players were naturally delighted by this "increase in quantity and quality." Moreover, the Third Airport exceeded expectations. Being able to experience an immersive 3D world, look at the scenery, and take photos added a new layer of gameplay.
[Wait, you can make a game like this?]
[The main story is great, but this Open World gameplay is another milestone, right?]
Open World + 3D was a concept many in the industry had proposed, but the investment required was staggering. While stage-based levels are simple and bug-resistant, a large world brings endless technical issues. Just optimizing the bugs required a fortune. Even for PC/console giants, failing due to technical inability was common, let alone mobile companies.
This was the terrifying part of Honkai 3rd. In a market full of "lazy reskin" mobile games, its existence was a dimensional strike. Its earning power made even PC developers feel ashamed.
After finishing the Open World segment, Pardo moved on to Chapter 8: Queen's Descent. On the cover of the chapter, Kiana Kaslana no longer wore her familiar twin braids. Her hair was long and white, and her golden pupils radiated endless majesty. A dangerous curve played on her lips as she looked mockingly at the girl she held in a princess carry—Raiden Mei.
[Holy crap? Is that really the Tuna?]
[She's too beautiful, too fierce!]
[Clothes really do make the person. Just a change in hairstyle and eye color, and the silly Tuna actually became a Queen!]
The cover of Chapter 8 made Kiana's eyes widen: "...Is that really me?" Previously, she felt Su Mu had made Fu Hua too cool, making her look like a loser in comparison. But now she realized she was wrong! "Hmph, he knows his place! After all, it's only natural for this Lady to be cooler than the Class Monitor!" Kiana tilted her chin up proudly, clearly very happy.
"Uh, Kiana-chan... but at this point, you've been possessed by Sirin, right? Meaning, the one in the game is actually Sirin..." Pardo reminded her.
Kiana's smug face instantly dropped. Right! What am I so happy about? This is a state of being possessed! No matter how cool the Queen is, it doesn't change the fact that I lost to Fu Hua and got taken over!
"Curse you, Su Mu! He must be holding a grudge against this Lady, so he intentionally scripted me like this! Gwaaaah! I'm so mad!!"
It's all Su Mu's fault! Whatever goes wrong, it must be Su Mu!
[Why is the Second Herrscher carrying Mei? Could it be...]
[I remember Kiana's sister is also named Sirin? Is this... sisterly conflict?]
[Holy crap, things are getting spicy!]
[Wait, the Third Herrscher decided not to destroy the world because of Kiana. Is this going to be a replay where the Second Herrscher doesn't destroy the world because of Mei?]
With many questions, the audience urged Pardo to start Chapter 8.
With the help of Einstein and Tesla, Himeko successfully entered the Third Airport and rendezvoused with the Hyperion, which had completed its "secret weapon" installation.
The Hyperion: 278.5 meters long, deck length 182 meters. Nuclear-powered with 6 fusion reactors. Utilizes Leonov Anti-Gravity Engines for flight. Equipped with dual electromagnetic railguns.
In the Chiyou arc, the Hyperion had used its terrifying railguns to strike the beast's heart three times. Originally designed as a carrier, Himeko had refitted it, sacrificing all Valkyrie aircraft to turn it into a battleship. Combined with the "Nexus System" in Himeko's Fusion Armor: Crimson, her output could surpass an Emperor-class Honkai Beast. However, long-term operation would put the armor into a dangerous state of overload.
Even so, facing dangerous enemies, Himeko would not hesitate to activate the Nexus System!
After Tesla and Himeko entered the control room, Tesla seized control of the Third Airport. Meanwhile, Murata Himeko, who was fighting off enemies in her mech, suddenly coughed up a mouthful of blood.
["Damn... not now... there isn't much time left, is there..."]
[Murata Himeko looks at the blood in her palm. She knows her body's condition all too well.]
[But for now, she has no intention of telling anyone.]
[She silently wipes away the blood and continues the fight.]
This scene caused the livestream chat to explode.
[Himeko is injured? Was it from the battle just now?]
[It looks serious. Has Himeko been pushing herself this whole time?]
[It's likely old injuries on top of new ones. Didn't they say in the Chiyou arc that Himeko's time was running out...?]
"Ah, it was mentioned earlier that due to the side effects of artificial Stigmata, Himeko's body is already falling apart..." Pardo sighed, looking at the Himeko in the CG with a sad expression.
"This is the fate of every Valkyrie who undergoes artificial Stigma modification."
Artificial Stigmata grant resistance to Honkai energy and the power to control it, but they consume the user's life. Most Valkyries retire around the age of thirty, but even then, they don't have long to live. At this moment, the audience finally realized that the world of Honkai Impact 3rd was not as bright as they imagined. The warm, happy daily life in the early chapters was just the calm before the storm!
From Chapter 4 when Bronya burned her chip to save Mei, to the reunion in the snow, the prisoner in Babylon, and now Himeko's failing health... every plot point was a warning signal.
The blade was sharpened! It was just waiting for the moment to strike!
"Auntie Himeko... is going to die?" Kiana's eyes widened in disbelief. Wait, no way, right? She was so spirited at the start of Chapter 7, the ace of the Far East Branch making a grand entrance, and now she's going to get 'boxed lunch'? For real?
"Maybe there's a turning point," Raiden Mei analyzed. "Since Schicksal researched artificial Stigmata, maybe there's a way to treat Professor Himeko here."
[If Himeko really gets 'bladed,' Kiana-chan is going to cry her eyes out, right?]
[I agree. The usually airheaded Tuna is probably the most emotional one!]
"H-How is that possible!" Seeing those comments, Kiana waved her hand dismissively, entering her classic "boomerang" moment. "It's just a game! Even if Himeko gets bladed, I definitely won't cry! Absolutely not!"
END OF CHAPTER
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